Sanitation Worker Caught In Street Sweeper

Firefighters rescued a sanitation worker after his arm got caught in a street sweeper. On Tuesday, January 30 around 12:30 p.m., Mark Bonifacio was operating his street sweeper through Throggs Neck when a truck tire got sucked into the machine and jammed it. Bonifacio pulled over at Balcom Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard and opened the sweeper’s back compartment to dislodge the tire, but he had forgotten to shut the sweeper off. When the tire was freed, the sweeper swallowed Bonifacio’s arm. He was able to get his phone from his pocket using his other hand and called a supervisor for assistance. Firefighters successfully shut down the sweeper and freed Bonifacio who sustained a broken wrist, elbow and upper arm. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center where he underwent surgery Tuesday night. Photo by Edwin Soto